Welcome to Voices United, our monthly series that highlights the stories of donors, advocates, and supporters who make our work possible, in their own words — and our shared commitment to the neighborhoods we call home.
Meet Kristie Gonzales, a United Way of Greater Atlanta board member and Austin transplant who has called the neighborhood of Old Fourth Ward home for the past three years.
Her career in media and her leadership on our board share a common thread: telling the stories of our community and helping build a stronger future for everyone, regardless of their background.
How did you come to join the board of directors at United Way of Greater Atlanta?
I moved here from Austin three years ago, where I was also involved with my local United Way there. What I loved about United Way of Greater Atlanta was that we’re attacking similar problems of how to interrupt generational poverty and set people on a different path.
» Learn more about our 2026-2027 class of board members
What aspect of United Way’s work in the community are you most passionate about supporting?
Economic stability: Helping families earn more, save more, and keep more, transforming income into wealth.
Atlanta is known as a land of opportunity, but the truth is, we leave a lot of people out of that bright future. It’s time to remove barriers to equitable growth so that everyone — regardless of race or zip code — can thrive.
How does your career in media influence your work on the board of directors’ marketing committee?
The great thing about working in local broadcasting, whether you’re on the news or the sales side, is that you tell stories. So, in news, which is my background, that’s what we do. We capture stories that drive people to behavior. That is a unique talent that I bring to the board, getting the word out about all the good stuff United Way is up to in Atlanta.
What story about United Way of Greater Atlanta are you aiming to tell?
People get confused because they assume United Way is this thing that they’ve known from the past. They don’t realize that, for example, United Way of Greater Atlanta now has a very strong strategy on addressing child well-being — and that’s powerful.
If people don’t know about United Way of Greater Atlanta, they should do some investigating, because it’s not a passive agency. There’s a big strategy behind who we work with, and we measure the impact of where we invest our dollars, so there’s real results at the end of the day.
And what we’re about to do has the potential to change thousands of lives in the communities and the zip codes that are most hurt by Atlanta’s economic mobility structure. It addresses the biggest issues in our community, and we’re about to expand our work. I would tell people to stay tuned!
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